Snow Days and Chair Cushions

The golf course at Newnan Country Club covered in snow!

We survived Snowmageddon 2014. We live just south of Atlanta and as you may know, we had an epic amount of snowfall this past week. Maybe two inches of snow isn't epic to some of you elsewhere, but to us it's pretty darn close to the second coming of Jesus.

To be fair, the area where we live got closer to four inches than two and it was beautiful! Because snow is such a rarity, I took a ridiculous amount of pictures. Some of which, I will share now.

Our house covered in four inches of snow!

We spent the week hunkered down around the fire while watching a good number of the films nominated for Oscars and eating an obscene amount of junk food. Time well-spent, right?!

Bella playing in the first inch of snow for the first time. 

I did, however, manage to complete and start some projects. The most time-consuming project was probably my chair cushions!

When we got married, the in-laws passed on their kitchen table and six chairs to us. Since then, I've always wanted to put some cushions in the chairs, but at $8 to $10 a cushion it was low on the budget priority list.

Then behold! One day, I went to work and they were replacing all of our napping mats. I took home five mats and cut the foam out of them.

I bought three yards of muslin for $1.99 a yard. I used this tutorial from Prudent Baby. I didn't embellish and make them as pretty as she did, but they will certainly do the trick! I used all of her measurements and followed the directions (relatively) closely so I'd highly recommend her tutorial.

Seriously, you can't beat $6 for six chair cushions!

Have fun creating!
Miranda

Love Bugs Baby Shower

I've been chomping at the bit to share these invitations and precious baby shower with you all! This shower was for two very special twin girls. Even though they are still in the NICU, we celebrated their surprise arrival with their mommy last Saturday.

The shower theme was based after the bedding sets selected by mom - bugs! Lady bugs, caterpillars and butterflies! Oh my!

I created a series of invitations for mom to choose from and here was the winner! These are for sale in my shop. You can purchase the digital file or printed invitations.

The cake was made to match the invitation. How awesome is that?! I cannot tell you how excited I was over this cake. It's just really cool when you see your invitation come to life in another form. 

The next idea I loved was this keepsake invitation. All the shower guests signed the matte and then it was framed! What a great idea, right? It'll be a keepsake that both mom and the girls will treasure, I'm sure.

 As for the food table, my sister-in-law found some adorable painted butterflies and caterpillars at Hobby Lobby. We sprinkled them around the table. 

The gift table was over-flowing with all sorts of goodies for the twins! Check out that little stroller made out of diapers and receiving blankets with the two little bears sitting inside! Too cool, right? I really want to learn how to make those now.

Now, for some quick family history - the mom for our shower is my husband's first cousin. A few years ago, we lost his Aunt Sharon. Even though she couldn't be there to celebrate the new life of her twin granddaughters, the shower hostesses found a special way to include her by displaying her picture, some flowers and a memorial candle on a small table by mom's chair.

The bulk of my business is baby shower invitations. It isn't uncommon for customers to request that I add on information about a diaper raffle to their invitation. That said, I knew what it was, but had never actually seen one at a baby shower. Seriously, a diaper raffle is a stroke of genius! Whenever we have children, I am so doing a diaper raffle.

I made rag quilts for both girls. I hope to post a tutorial on these soon. They are pretty easy to make. I want to make myself one now!

Are you planning your own love bug themed baby shower? Enjoy these FREE favor tags!

Thanks for stopping by!

Miranda

A Collection of Free 2014 Project Life Cards

I'm only six days late, but - HAPPY NEW YEAR! For those of us who are lovers of Project Life, it's time to start a new album! 

I'm happy to report I've completed my 2013 album and my attempt at a December Daily album was an epic success. It's the first time in the many years I've been scrapbooking that I've actually completed a year long scrapbook and I'm pretty darn proud of it.

Needless to say, it totally pumps me up for doing Project Life this year. To get you motivated and inspired, I thought I'd share a collection of free Project Life cards dedicated to helping you document your New Year. 

To get the goods, simply click on the picture and get to printing!

Enjoy!

Miranda

December Daily Update

I apologize for that small hiatus. The holidays have been keeping me plenty busy and so has PaperLark Studio. I hit a huge milestone in November - I made more money with PaperLark than I did at the daycare. For me, this accomplishment is HUGE! I'm inching closer and closer to my goal of doing it full time. It is safe to say I have some very high hopes for 2014!

I haven't had too much time for anything crafty for two reasons - I've been wrapping a gazillion presents and  have devoted all my free time to my December Daily album. I'm absolutely loving doing a December Daily album although I'll be the first to admit it can be intense. It's kind of like dedicating yourself to working out every day except a lot more fun. I try to make myself sit down for 10-15 minutes each night and scrap a page from the previous day. Doing so, I've been able to keep up without a hitch.

I thought I'd share some of my pages, but before I do, look at the adorable presents I made my kids at work! Well, the wrapping anyway...

I found these adorable free printable tags over at Creative Index. I grabbed some washi tape and paper bags and ta-da!

Now for your December Daily inspiration...

Happy Holidays!

Miranda

My December Daily

Christmas is my favorite holiday, but I also think it can be a very stressful holiday.

For that reason, I had my tree and festive decor up before Thanksgiving. I know I killed a baby reindeer and what not, but seriously my sanity was worth the ridicule. Actually, I also have the majority of my Christmas shopping done too. Like I said, I'm looking for a stress-free holiday!

Besides all of the usual holiday stress, I've decided to tackle a pretty time-consuming project - my first December Daily album.

A December Daily album is a scrapbook that documents every day in December. Quite frankly, I'm a little intimidated by this undertaking despite being avid scrapbooker and Project Lifer. For 2013, I've done really well keeping up with our Project Life album. In fact, I've just got to finish the month of November and it will be complete!

So far, I'm proud to report that I am up to speed with my December Daily album. It is kind of intense trying to get pictures for some every day, but I think I will be able to manage.

My pages are very basic compared to a lot of those I have seen BUT I don't want to overwhelm myself. For my first December Daily album, I'm sticking with the theory that less is more. Also, I'm still working on my title page so no pictures of it yet.

December 1st

December 2nd

 If you are looking for some December Daily inspiration, be sure to pick out my Project Life Pinterest board. It is LOADED with all sorts of goodies. CLICK HERE!

Are you tackling a December Daily album? What are your strategies for keeping up with it?

Miranda

Tuesday: Kammy's Korner, Sugar Bee Crafts, Chef in Training, Not Just a Housewife, Him and Her, A Stroll Thru Life, Mad Cap Frenzy, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Coastal Charm

Wednesday: We Like to Learn as We Go, Polkadots on Parade, No Minimalist Here, From My Front Porch to Yours, Yellow Bliss Road, Sew Much Ado, Seven Alive, Simply Designing

Thursday: 52 Mantels, Live Laugh Rowe, A Glimpse Inside, Stone Gable, The Girl Creative, Bloom Designs, Blissful and Domestic, Crafts a la Mode, From My Front Porch to Yours

Friday: The Dedicated House, Blissful and Domestic, Craft Dictator, DIY Vintage Chic, Shaken Together, 504 Main, Craftionary, The Grant Life, Thirty Handmade Days, Redoux Interiors, Simply Sweet Home, Just Us Four, Romantic Home, The Jenny Evolution

Last Minute Fall Wreath: Burlap Monogram Wreath

I've been sorely slacking in creating a wreath for the front door since my Halloween wreath has been retired until next year. My poor green door has been bare since the first of November.

Truth be told, I wanted a wreath that was a) inexpensive and b) quick. Why? Well, in a mere 37 days it'll be Christmas. Can you believe that? And we all know, that as soon as I wake up on the day after Thanksgiving, I'll be crafting and hanging up my Christmas wreath.

Using some leftover burlap, a stencil, black paint and an embroidery hoop, I created my burlap monogram wreath to clothe our - as we say in the South - necked (pronounced neck-id) door.

Total cost? The 67 cents I paid for the embroidery hoop. How long did it take? From start to finish, about 10 minutes. Mission accomplished.

What You'll Need:
burlap

embroidery hoop

stencil

paint

foam brush

scissors

hot glue gun

ribbon/jute/twine

Step One. I know every stenciler and embroiderer in the world is about to scream in terror, but I put my burlap in my embroidery hoop first thing. Why? I wanted to make sure my "W" was in the center of my hoop. It didn't hurt my stenciling at all, but do what you wish!

Step Two. Stencil on your letter using the paint and your foam brush and cut away your excess fabric.

Step Three. Measure your ribbon/jute/twine to see what length your wreath needs to hang from the door and hot glue that sucker on the back.

Done.

Told you I was looking for quick, but I'm happy with how it turned out. It'll definitely do.

Time to hunt for Christmas wreath ideas!

Miranda

Monday: C.R.A.F.T., Craft-O-Maniac, Making the World Cuter, Keeping It Simple Crafts, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Dedicated House, Alderberry Hill, Mad in Crafts, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, The Gunny Sack, Home Stories A to Z, Home Coming

Tuesday: Kammy's Korner, Sugar Bee Crafts, Chef in Training, Not Just a Housewife, Him and Her, A Stroll Thru Life, Mad Cap Frenzy, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Coastal Charm

Wednesday: We Like to Learn as We Go, Polkadots on Parade, No Minimalist Here, From My Front Porch to Yours, Yellow Bliss Road, Sew Much Ado, Seven Alive, Simply Designing

Thursday: 52 Mantels, Live Laugh Rowe, A Glimpse Inside, Stone Gable, The Girl Creative, Bloom Designs, Blissful and Domestic, Crafts a la Mode, From My Front Porch to Yours

Friday: The Dedicated House, Blissful and Domestic, Craft Dictator, DIY Vintage Chic, Shaken Together, 504 Main, Craftionary, The Grant Life, Thirty Handmade Days, Redoux Interiors, Simply Sweet Home, Just Us Four, Romantic Home, The Jenny Evolution

Curator of 60 (FREE) Holiday Fonts

Being a creator of invitations, announcements and anything stationary, I like to consider myself a curator and lover of fonts - especially free fonts.

That said, I thought I'd share my arsenal of free holiday font collections. I have a handful of blogger that I follow who are always pairing fonts wonderfully so be sure to check them out: Lia Griffith, Ella Claire and Yellow Bliss Road.

| Herr Von Muellerhoff | Alex Brush | Marcelle Script | Harbell | Shipped Goods |Learning Curve | Sofia | Landliebe | Grand Hotel | Maratre |

| Vast Shadow | Pinewood | Montague | Hand Shop |Covington SC Shadow | Return to Sender | Barrelhouse | Silverflake | Weston Light |The Dead Saloon |

1. Lavanderia {here}

2. Santa's Sleigh {here}

3. Contribute {here}

4. Christmas Tree {here}

5. St Nicholas {here}

6. Freebooter Script {here}

7. Christmas Cheer {here}

8. Hultog Snowdrift {here}

9. Chalk Hand Lettering {here}

10. Always Here {here}

11. Xmas tfb Christmas {here}

12. Holly & Berrie {here}

13. FoglihtenNo01 {here}

14. Janda Cheerful Script {here}

15. Xiomara {here}

16. Happy New One {here}

Happy New One
Champagne & Limousines

Art Brewery

Neou

Couture

Cafe & Brewery

Sail

Wonderlust

Chalk Hand Lettering

Kraft Nine

California Harvest

Century Gothic

Austie Bost Rest of Our Lives

Copperplate Gothic

Invitation Script

Wonderland

Peyo

Channel

Austie Bost in Wonderland

Somebody that I Used to Know

Sverige Script

Birmingham

Bryanna

Century Gothic

If you liked my collections of holiday fonts, be sure to follow me via the social media below so you don't miss any more!

Happy creating!Miranda

Monday: C.R.A.F.T., Craft-O-Maniac, Making the World Cuter, Keeping It Simple Crafts, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Dedicated House, Alderberry Hill, Mad in Crafts, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, The Gunny Sack, Home Stories A to Z, Home Coming

Tuesday: Kammy's Korner, Sugar Bee Crafts, Chef in Training, Not Just a Housewife, Him and Her, A Stroll Thru Life, Mad Cap Frenzy, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Coastal Charm

Wednesday: We Like to Learn as We Go, Polkadots on Parade, No Minimalist Here, From My Front Porch to Yours, Yellow Bliss Road, Sew Much Ado, Seven Alive, Simply Designing

Thursday: 52 Mantels, Live Laugh Rowe, A Glimpse Inside, Stone Gable, The Girl Creative, Bloom Designs, Blissful and Domestic, Crafts a la Mode, From My Front Porch to Yours

Friday: The Dedicated House, Blissful and Domestic, Craft Dictator, DIY Vintage Chic, Shaken Together, 504 Main, Craftionary, The Grant Life, Thirty Handmade Days, Redoux Interiors, Simply Sweet Home, Just Us Four, Romantic Home, The Jenny Evolution

Jungle/Safari Themed Baby Shower with FREE PRINTABLES

This past Saturday, we celebrated the pending arrival of my nephew, Elijah! The baby shower was hosted by myself and my sister-in-law, Amanda. We decided to go with the jungle theme that our mommy-to-be had selected for his nursery.

I apologize in advance for the crap-tastic pictures. Between all the chaos and excitement, I completely spaced and left the camera at home. The result? iPhone pictures. Eww. I did the best I could, but they definitely don't give it justice!

Anyway, we tried to use the same colors that were in little Elijah's bedding - jungle green, pale yellow and brown.

I designed two invitation choices for our mommy-to-be to choose from. The second was the winner! (Both of these are available for purchase in my Etsy shop here and here.)

Aren't the animals adorable? I used them throughout the shower in the signs for the favors and banana split bar. 

That's right! No rumble in the jungle is complete without a banana split bar. We used real, glass ice cream dishes and offered up every type of topping you could ever want.

Would you like a free download of the sign for the banana split bar? 

CLICK HERE

You'll notice the tissue pom poms adding some color behind the banana split bar. I absolutely love these. They are my go-to party decor item now. But, please whatever you do, do not pay $5 for one at the store. They are SO easy and quick to make. Seriously, the tissue paper I used was only $1!

What You Need

A pack of tissue paper (8-10 sheets)

Twine

Scissors

Step One. Starting at the short end, fold the tissue paper 1.5 inch wide in an accordion-style.

Step Two. Cut off a piece of your twine and tie around the middle of your folded tissue paper. 

Step Three. Take your scissors and cut a point or round it.

Step Four. Carefully pull each piece of tissue paper down, away from the rest - fluffing your pom pom as you go. Do this until you have a full, fluffy pom pom. 

Looking for another excellent tutorial on how to make pom poms? Check out this one by Design Dazzle.

The mantel was definitely my favorite part of the baby shower decoration-wise. I had this big, grand plan in my head and for once, it worked exactly like I wanted it to!

I purchased some chipboard letters at Hobby Lobby and painted them using our color scheme. Not only were they a cute addition to my mantel masterpiece, but they can now be used in little E's nursery! 

Using some of the twine, I hung up three onesies that had jungle animals on them with green, glittery clothes pins. I taped some vine greenery to hide the twine and placed a stuffed giraffe and lion Amanda had found over the tape that hung the twine. 

Amanda also had the most adorable diaper cake made which topped the mantel off perfectly!

As for the favors, we gave party guests animal crackers!

The favors are sitting on top of a baby dresser that my sister-in-law, Amanda,  painted for Elijah. I absolutely loved the color she used and it worked perfectly to display our favors.

Would you like a free download of the sign for the favor table?

CLICK HERE!

 I was really pleased with how well everything turned out. Not to mention, we had ALOT of fun celebrating Elijah's pending arrival and seeing all of his tiny little presents.

CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD!

I can't wait to meet my little nephew now that he has been thrown a proper shin-dig!

Miranda

Monday: C.R.A.F.T., Craft-O-Maniac, Making the World Cuter, Keeping It Simple Crafts, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Dedicated House, Alderberry Hill, Mad in Crafts, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, The Gunny Sack, Home Stories A to Z, Home Coming

Tuesday: Kammy's Korner, Sugar Bee Crafts, Chef in Training, Not Just a Housewife, Him and Her, A Stroll Thru Life, Mad Cap Frenzy, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Coastal Charm

Wednesday: We Like to Learn as We Go, Polkadots on Parade, No Minimalist Here, From My Front Porch to Yours, Yellow Bliss Road, Sew Much Ado, Seven Alive, Simply Designing

Thursday: 52 Mantels, Live Laugh Rowe, A Glimpse Inside, Stone Gable, The Girl Creative, Bloom Designs, Blissful and Domestic, Crafts a la Mode, From My Front Porch to Yours

Friday: The Dedicated House, Blissful and Domestic, Craft Dictator, DIY Vintage Chic, Shaken Together, 504 Main, Craftionary, The Grant Life, Thirty Handmade Days, Redoux Interiors, Simply Sweet Home, Just Us Four, Romantic Home, The Jenny Evolution